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Guilty verdict in DoorDash kidnapping case
The jury reached a verdict in the case of a man accused of kidnapping and raping a DoorDash driver then shooting one of the women who came to her rescue three years ago. FOX 13's Kylie Jones reports.
TAMPA, Fla. - A Tampa jury has found a man guilty of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a DoorDash driver in 2023.
After less than 29 minutes of deliberation on Thursday afternoon, the jury found Joseph Killins guilty on all counts, including kidnapping and sexual battery.
RELATED: Trial begins for man accused of kidnapping, sexually assaulting DoorDash driver
Killins takes stand
What we know:
Killins took the stand in his own defense on Thursday morning. He claimed that he knew the 20-year-old victim and that they had a prior intimate relationship in the months leading up to the April 2023 attack.
He testified that the victim was pursuing him and that he wanted to break off the relationship that night.
"Anybody in their right mind wouldn't hold someone at gunpoint and then force them to perform oral sex on them," Killins said. "That would be kind of crazy."
He told the jury that the victim tried to shoot at him when her girlfriend and friend were trying to rescue her, but that she missed and hit her friend instead.
Inconsistencies raised in court
What they're saying:
A state prosecutor questioned Killins' story, arguing that his claims don't add up, based on the evidence and testimony from the victims and investigators.
"And she was trying to get away from you after everything that you had just done to her, and you were upset about that, right?" the prosecutor asked Killins.
"I was never upset by nothing, because I wanted to break up with her. At no time was I upset," he responded.
"Okay. Now you, actually I believe, on direct examination, said you shot back?" the prosecutor asked.
"I never said nothing like that," Killins answered.
Killins appeared to get agitated at multiple points while he was being cross-examined.
"I didn't force that girl to do nothing," Killins said. "I didn't put no gun point at this girl. I didn't kidnap nobody."
DoorDash driver kidnapped, raped
The backstory:
Investigators said the attack happened while the woman was delivering a DoorDash order to a Tampa hotel. Investigators said Killins held her at gunpoint and demanded money.
They say he then forced her into her car and made her drive around for about two hours. During that time, the victim testified that Killins demanded she perform sex acts on him, while armed and threatening to sexually assault her.
The victim's girlfriend testified earlier in the week that she was on the phone with the victim until the call eventually disconnected at some point during the attack. She and her sister tracked the victim's phone to an apartment complex parking lot.
When they tried to rescue the victim and escape, Killins allegedly shot at them.
Killins sentence
What's next:
Killins was sentenced after he was found guilty by the jury. He received life in prison on four of the six counts he was convicted of, including armed kidnapping, sexual battery with a deadly weapon, robbery with a firearm and attempted first-degree murder.
He also received 15 years for the two other counts, which were robbery and felon in possession of a firearm.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from courtroom testimony and statements made by the prosecution and defense.